If they know you well enough they can easily find something you like/need and do not have yet. Money? There is 0 element of suprise, no thought put into it, it's totally uninspired and impersonal. It's a crappy gift.
Sure if you NEED money then it's a good gift, I don't, so if someone feel they need to get me gifts I prefer getting something els.

No, they CANNOT easily find me something I like I do not have yet, as between the time they buy it and the time I get it, there's always a chance I've ALREADY ORDERED IT. See, I order stuff at least once a week, and just cause I didn't have something when you were over 3 days ago does not mean it wasn't already in the mail, or that it wasn't ordered the next day. If someone looks at my blade collection now, they might think "Hey, he doesn't have a Kabar TDI knife, maybe I'll get him one of these, I know he likes Kabar". Hell, they might even recall me mentioning that I dig the TDI knife. Of course, it would suck when they found out that I already have a Kabar TDI, along with 3 others knives, in the mail and on their way to me, they just haven't arrived yet. And nobody knows what I have ordered at any given time, even my close friends and family, so no, actually, it doesn't matter how well they know me, they can't "easily find something you like/need and do not have yet". Adrianna is a friend of mine who's heavily into blades as well...and she won't know what 4 blades will be arriving until they actually get here, either. Likewise, I don't go around talking about blade companies I dislike, so unless I specifically say "Frost Cutlery makes shitty knives, I have no interest in them" or unless the person specifically asks me about Frost Cutlery, the people I am close to won't automatically know that I dislike them, either. Sure, they might see that I don't own anything from Frost and assume that I must dislike them, yet...I don't own any knives from SOG(haven't gotten around to it, I will get their Aegis at some point) or Emerson(I'd like one, but $200 for one knife is a tad more than I care to pay) either, but it's not cause I dislike them. So, no, really, unless you are giving the gift to make YOURSELF feel better, rather than make the other person happy, the options are, you give me money, you give me a gift card(my friends and family know where I tend to spend my money so it's not hard to find a suitable one), or you give me something I specifically mention("I would really like a SOG Aegis, Cold Steel Rajah 3, or Condor Golok Machete, I will make sure I don't order any of them until after Christmas is over"). None of these have the "element of surprise"(which is good, I don't WANT to be surprised) or require thought be put into them, but they WILL all make me happy. And if you are giving someone a gift, the reason you SHOULD be doing it is to make THAT person happy, not to pat yourself on the back about how thoughtful and creative you were.

Worst are: The horrible mens underwear set, oh not with boxershorts, but with the leggings, and the long-sleeved shirt. Uh-huh..
Also my brother got a "kuksa" which is a wooden cup, and dried mushrooms from his granny. Dried mushrooms were not magical in anyway, or even mentioned to be. So a wooden mug and dried mushrooms :|

Originally Posted by Pie Eater

Have you read the planned frost mage "nerfs" ?!? It's like nerfing a hangman's rope by coloring it blue.

Several yeas ago my brother got a Hickory Farm meat and cheese set from our grandfather. He then realized that it had been opened and the little candy that came in it was gone. He turned it over and saw the whole thing had expired 3 years earlier! It also had a gift tag on the bottom from X to my grandfather.

Another year he gave my brother a kids book about sharks. He was about 29 at the time and had no kids and did not like sharks. LOL

Every year the same grandfather gives me and my husband each a pocket knife. I mean how many knives can two non hunting people use?

I would get upset if someone gave me a charity present. Like "I donated money and you get a crappy thank you card in a box". If I want to donate money I will do it... And I do btw. I am not a heartless bastard. Just think it is a crappy gift!

I don't personally care for Christmas. Since my parents split when I was young and my mother spent all our money on Cigarettes, Booze and random men we rarely got anything for Christmas.

That said, these last few years with my girlfriend has meant I get a few things for Christmas from her & her family. I don't ask for anything, and often refuse to tell them what I would like. I'm not the kind of person who likes taking gifts, money or charity from people. I do say though, as always that practical useful things are all I want. I don't want silly gadgets or toys.

I got a pair of steel-toe-capped wellington boots two years ago, and they were the best christmas present I got. So, seeing as all I ever get is useful tools and equipment, I've never had a crappy present, but my crappy christmas's never involved a tree, let alone a present.

Christmas for me as an adult, has always been about family, I don't care if there are no presents at all, so long as I get to spend time with my mum and sister, being that most of my family friends/myself have at times been lacking of money, we all have an understanding about christmas, that a card is enough and celebrating the day with each other is more important that making yourself even more skint, trying to buy everyone presents.

Gifts are lovely to recieve, and if someone has taken the time and money to buy me something then thats wonderful. (even if it's something I wouldn't buy myself or use) The fact someone thought I was important enough to them to warrant them purchasing me a gift is gift enough.

I'm a stingy bastard, I don't buy anyone anything and I don't expect anyone to buy anything for me. I told my mother to stop buying me stuff when I was 18, 26 now and she still does. I never get why people can be mad at getting bad christmas presents, people must be stressed the fuck out buying all this shit hoping people like it.

I bought my sister-in-law a hand crafted metal cat clock. It was the shape of sitting cat
made from thin metal bars with the clock in the hip area. Made by a local artist, not cheap.

Guess what I got for christmas the very next year? That damn cat clock.
She re-gifted my gift, which I suppose would be fine if she'd not given it to the original gift bearer.

Still haven't told her to this day what she did and never will.
(edit for context; this woman was obsessed with cats... cat towels,
cat dinner dishes, cat paintings and even a cat welcome mat.
and here I thought I was buying something thoughtful...)

Thats horrible. I only give a few gifts out for christmas, and only to those I care about and put a lot of thought into them, but if that happened to me Id be crushed. You should totally tell her the importance of that gift.

---------- Post added 2012-12-08 at 09:30 AM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCasual

gotta love all the "my folks are rich/well off therefor i am entitled to something good" posts. you are not entitled to anything, be grateful for what you get, some folk dont get anything at all.

People arent asking their rich relatives to buy them TVs or such, Id rather get nothing than something thoughtless. Expired food, getting the same present back as a re-gift, and one poster said their rich aunt gave them passport holders knowing they were too poor to travel. C'mon.

*wait wait, mushrooms. OMG I know what to get people I hate. A package of mushrooms! rofl

I kind of hate saying stuff like "crappy Christmas presents" because at least you're getting something, meaning the person was thinking of you and thought whatever the present they give you would be nice. BUT when its stuff like getting the same things every year like with me: watches, winter coats, other clothing when they KNOW I'm into different things, it gets a little annoying. Like I said I hate thinking this way because it makes me feel like I'm ungrateful but it gets kind of annoying when I have to add another watch or winter coat to the pile of other watches or coats. I mean if you're going to get me a present at least get something that I would actually enjoy having and they KNOW I'm a nerd and that I'm into figurines, video games, movies and other stuff of the sort but yet they keep getting me the same stuff that I don't want every year.

First world problems I guess.

Last edited by Geminiwolf; 2012-12-08 at 03:45 PM.

“Ever wonder why ice cubes taste so boring? It’s cuz you make ‘em outta stupid water, you bimbo! Put some fruit juice in there and freeze it into ice cubes, and put THAT in your milk.”
"One small mankind and I'm gonna leap the heck outta this moon rocket." - Kneel AurmstrangFor your health.

The... strangest gift I think I ever got was a six pack of beer. I didn't complain though, I actually enjoyed that gift

These days my loved ones expect that if they don't tell me what they want, then they're playing Gift Card Roulette with me. Last year was 50$ to Black Angus Steakhouse, I think before that it was Amazon.com, and this year it's another restaurant.